Derek Offord - Using Russian - A Guide to Contemporary Usage

нeсти´, to carry (нe с/у´)

нёс, нeслa´, нeсло´, нeсли´

(d)

verbs in - стьor - сти´with stems in доr т: the consonant with which the present-/future-tense stem ends is replaced with - лin the masculine form, e.g.

вeсти´, to lead (вe д/у´)

вёл, вeлa´, вeло´, вeли´

мeсти´, to sweep (мe т/у´)

мёл, мeлa´, мeло´, мeли´

клaсть, to put (клa д/у´)

клaл, клa´лa, клa´ло, клa´ли

крaсть, to steal (крa д/у´)

крaл, крa´лa, крa´ло, крa´ли

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9

Inflection

(e)

verbs in - чь: the final - чьof the infinitive is replaced with the velar with which the stem of the first-person-singular form of the

present-/future-tense ends, e.g.

бeрe´чь, to be careful (бeрe г/у´)

бeрёг, бeрeглa´, бeрeгло´, бeрeгли´

лeчь, to lie down (ля´ г/у)

лёг, лeглa´, лeгло´, лeгли´

стричь, to cut (hair; стри г/у´)

стриг, стри´глa, стри´гло, стри´гли

мочь, to be able (мо г/у´)

мог, моглa´, могло´, могли´

пeчь, to bake (пe к/у´)

пёк, пeклa´, пeкло´, пeкли´

Note:

жeчь, to burn (жг/у), has жёг, жглa, жгло, жгли.

(f )

идти´: шёл, шлa, шло, шли

Note:

stress in вы´шeлis on the prefix.

(g)

verbs in - eрe´тьlose the final - e´тьin their masculine form, e.g.

умeрe´ть, to die

у´мeр, умeрлa´, у´мeрло, у´мeрли

зaпeрe´ть, to lock

зa´пeр, зaпeрлa´, зa´пeрло, зa´пeрли

стeрe´ть, to rub off

стёр, стёрлa, стёрло, стёрли

(h)

some verbs in - нутьwith stress on stem, including verbs denoting change of state (see 9.6.6(c)), lose this suffix in the masculine form, e.g.

возни´кнуть, to arise

возни´к, возни´клa, возни´кло,

возни´кли

дости´гнуть, to attain

дости´г, дости´глa, дости´гло,

дости´гли

зaмёрзнуть, to freeze

зaмёрз, зaмёрзлa, зaмёрзло,

зaмёрзли

исчe´знуть, to disappear

исчe´з, исчe´злa, исчe´зло, исчe´зли

поги´бнуть, to perish

поги´б, поги´блa, поги´бло,

поги´бли

Note:

the tendency is for verbs of this type to lose their suffix in the past tense, and forms which preserve it have an archaic flavour.

(i)

ошиби´ться, to be mistaken

оши´бся, оши´блaсь, оши´блось,

оши´блись

ушиби´ться, to hurt oneself

уши´бся, уши´блaсь, уши´блось,

уши´блись

9.6.11

Formation of the imperative

The second-person imperative may be formed from either aspect of

the Russian verb (on usage see 11.5.6).

The basic forms are used if the form of address used by the speaker

is ты. The suffix - тeis added to this basic form if the form of address used by the speaker is вы.

The imperative of most Russian verbs is formed by removing the

last two letters of the third person plural of the present/future tense and adding one of the following endings:

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9.6

Verb forms

(a)

й, if the stem ends in a vowel, e.g.

читa´ть, to finish (читa´/ют)

читa´й(тe)

объясня´ть, to explain (объясня´/ют)

объясня´й(тe)

оргaнизовa´ть, to organise (оргaнизу´/ют)

оргaнизу´й(тe)

зaкры´ть, to close (зaкро´/ют)

зaкро´й(тe)

пeть, to sing (по/ю´т)

по´й(тe)

Note:

a few second-conjugation verbs with stressed endings in -ить in the infinitive have the ending - и´in R2/3, e.g. крои´ть, to cut out (кро/я´т) → крои´(тe).

(b)

и, if the stem ends in a single consonant and the stress in the first person singular is on the ending or if the stem ends in two or more

consonants and irrespective of the position of the stress, e.g.

писa´ть, to write (пи´ш/ут, пишу´)

пиши´(тe)

вeсти´, to lead (вeд/у´т, вeду´)

вeди´(тe)

нeсти´, to carry (нeс/у´т, нeсу´)

нeси´(тe)

говори´ть, to speak (говор/я´т, говорю´)

говори´(тe)

купи´ть, to buy (ку´п/ят, куплю´)

купи´(тe)

ждaть, to wait (жд/ут, жду´)

жди´(тe)

объясни´ть, to explain (объясн/я´т, объясню´)

объясни´(тe)

Note:

verbs with stems ending in the consonants стоr р+ another consonant have parallel forms in - ьin the singular form of the imperative, e.g. почи´сть, clean ; нe порть, don’t spoil .

(c)

ь, if the stem ends in a single consonant and the stress in the first person singular is on the stem, e.g.

рe´зaть, to cut (рe´ж/ут, рe´жу)

рe´жь(тe)

отвe´тить, to reply (отвe´т/ят, отвe´чу)

отвe´ть(тe)

Note:

some imperative forms derived from simple verbs which have end stress but which have the stressed prefix вы´- retain the ending - и, e.g. вы´бeжaть, to run out (вы´бeг/ут, вы´бeгу) → вы´бeги(тe); вы´йти, to go out (вы´йд/ут, вы´йду) →

вы´йди(тe).

r The following verbs or types of verb have imperatives that depart from the above patterns:

(a)

monosyllabic verbs in - ить: бить, to beat → бe´й(тe); (b)

1B verbs in - aвa´ть: дaвa´ть, to give → дaвa´й(тe); (c)